


and me with my umbrella

by insertcleveracejoke



Series: oh no, not now [3]
Category: Discworld - Terry Pratchett
Genre: HEX just wants Ponder to be okay, M/M, Ponder just wants to deal with it it soon, Rincewind is suspicious whenever something seems to be going right, but I wouldnt bet on me, seems like Im in a roll now, with some luck I'll get to write what I actually meant to soon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 05:43:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16382477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/insertcleveracejoke/pseuds/insertcleveracejoke
Summary: It wasn't that he wanted Rincewind here. He didn't- he wouldn't really know what to say, would he? After that thing in the cave (and he couldn't help but to touch his lips when thinking about it) what could Ponder even do? Why had Rincewind even kissed him? In that kind of desperate, sudden way, as if... And despite everything, it had felt nice... Yes, it had, hadn't it? It had felt good to kiss him. That was a fact Ponder couldn't deny, not really. Not after so many times in which the simple thought of Rincewind had made him smile. After so many times he had let the wizzard stay over in the building when there hadn't really been a reason. And if he was being really honest, maybe most of the experiments he had done hadn't really needed the other's presence there at all..."Oh dear", he told the air. "It looks like I'm in a Situation."+++ Are You Okay? +++





	and me with my umbrella

They weren't talking to each other.

Ponder kept glancing at where Rincewind usually took naps in the HEM building despite knowing he wouldn't see anyone there. He sighed. 

It wasn't that he wanted Rincewind here. He didn't- he wouldn't really know what to say, would he? After that thing in the cave (and he couldn't help but to touch his lips when thinking about it) what could Ponder even do? Why had Rincewind even kissed him? In that kind of desperate, sudden way, as if... And despite everything, it had felt nice... Yes, it had, hadn't it? It had felt good to kiss him. That was a fact Ponder couldn't deny, not really. Not after so many times in which the simple thought of Rincewind had made him smile. After so many times he had let the wizzard stay over in the building when there hadn't really been a reason. And if he was being really honest, maybe most of the experiments he had done hadn't really needed the other's presence there at all...

"Oh dear", he told the air. "It looks like I'm in a Situation."

+++ Are You Okay? +++

Ponder stared at the bit of paper that HEX spit out. With the vague air of someone who isn't really sure if they are dreaming or not, he got up and adjusted his pointy hair. When had HEX even learned to ask that kind of question without prompting? Was he looking so bad even a thinking engine- alright, one that sometimes looked scarily sentient, he'll give it that- had to ask if he's okay? You gotta draw the line at some point, Ponder thought. What that line meant was the problem. This was ridiculous. Pathetic, even. He walked to the door...

And then stopped. "I'll be alright, HEX. Thanks for asking", Ponder said without turning around. He had still his manners after all. Also, HEX could sometimes get cranky if they didn't say thank you or please, now. 

He didn't need to read the paper that came out to know it was +++ You're Welcome. +++

Ponder hurried in his way out. Sometimes HEX scared him...

Well, where to, now? Rincewind should probably be in his own office at this time, unless he was out... But no, if he were having one of his 'adventures', Ponder was sure he's have heard something by now. A bang, for example. A scream. And although the University wasn't silent by far, he could only hear its regular noises, like arguing, cursing, and someone singing a song that could have made Nanny Oggs think it was taking it a little too far at this time of the day. Ponder sighed, foreseeing a conversation with the Archancellor later with a witch's accuracy. Ridcully didn't seem to grasp the concept of Stibbons not being responsible for everything that went wrong in University's grounds.

He neatly sidestepped a limping pink chair and knocked on the door of Rincewind's office. Waiting for him to open it, Ponder suddenly realized he had no idea of what he intended to say.

It was good he didn't have time to get anxious over that, then.

"Ponder?"

Did Rincewind's eyes ever look so wide outside of danger before? Ponder blushed and looked at the room in a meaningful way.

"Oh- sorry. Come in, I guess", he said, still looking a little pale. Stibbons nodded in thanks and stepped in.

Rincewind's office still looked pretty much the same from the last time Ponder had seen it. Dozens of boxes of rocks everywhere- he remembered Rincewind mentioning he liked to sort through them because it was a safe kind of boring- and pretty much a manageable mess, unlike some of the other wizards' offices, that sometimes held entire civilizations of sentient animals or small dimensions inside of them. Well, this one did have a dimension, he thought looking at Roundworld. But it wasn't small. Not inside, anyway.

Ponder tried not to think about how he was trying to distract himself of the realization that he'd have to talk sooner or later.

"Look", Rincewind spared him the trouble. "I'm sorry. I don't know what I was thinking."

'Sorry' was probably a bad sign. Ponder sighed. "Can I sit down?"

"Hm? Uh, yes, of course-"

"Thank you". He caught a relatively calm pink chair that didn't seem intent on hitting him and sat down with the same kind of attitude a mountain would have if you could watch it settle down. As a matter of fact, Rincewind had. He eyed Ponder warily. "... Stop looking at me like that. You're not in trouble."

"That'd be a first", Rincewind said, but he sat down too. 

"Why did you kiss me?"

"You said I wasn't in trouble!"

"You're not. Just... Answer the question."

"I-", Rincewind hesitated. He couldn't quite look at Ponder. "I can't."

"Why?"

"I said, I can't-"

"No, why you can't. Do you not know?", he paused and thought of all he knew about Rincewind. "Or are you scared to answer because of everything that can go wrong?"

He didn't answer. He didn't need to. His expression was enough of a response to that.

Well, Ponder thought, there's that. He's surprisingly easy to read when you get to know him. 

"I have an easier question for you", Ponder said ignoring the way his own cheeks felt warmer. "Would you like to do that again?"

"What?!"

He politely waited for Rincewind to get up from where he had fallen off his chair before taking a deep breath and repeating his question. "Would you like to kiss me again?"

"Is that- is that a trick question?"

"I don't think so, no."

"You're not going to- you're not mad? You're not going to try to- to get me kicked out of the University, or send me in an adventure, or-"

"Of course not", Ponder frowned. "Why would I do that?"

"That's the question, isn't it", Rincewind mumbled. "Never seemed to stop anyone before, though."

"Well, do you want to or not?"

"... Is it an option?", Rincewind asked. He played with the sequins in his hat, a few of them falling off in what was basically a daily occurrence.

"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't."

"You would", he said with certainty.

Ponder hesitated. He had to admit it was probably true. But then again, how was he expected to make decisions without all of the facts? It was only sensible to ask. How else would he know? And, Ponder realized, he really wanted to know this time.

"Well, it is", he said. "So I'd be glad if you could answer before a new sentient civilization shows up in Roundworld."

"There's already one, seems like a new kind of sentient seaweed", Rincewind said distracted. Before Ponder could ask something about what seemed like a fascinant subject, he added, "you want to know if I'd like to kiss you?"

"That's the general idea, yes. If you could hurry up with that answer-"

"Yes. Yes, I do."

Ponder grins (later, Rincewind would tell him it looked pretty much like how a cat would smile if it could) and leaned closer.

It felt just as nice as the first kiss.


End file.
